What do you do if your executive leaders lack the qualities to drive innovation?

According to Barbara Fredrickson, when we are in a positive state of mind, our brains are more open to creativity and innovation. Our minds “broaden and builds”. Our brain narrows when we are in a state of negativity…limiting our ideas as we look for the escape. When we are in fight or flight mode, our choices are limited. Therefore, I would look to see how the leader thinks and responds to situations and others.

Leadership at times must be reminded of why we prosper and grow; why we retain our customers. Innovation speaks to the ever-increasing quality of the products and services delivered year-to-year. This value is recognized by stakeholders and is based on leadership who expect innovation it all its forms from the teams they nurture; teams whose DNA contains an overflowing measure of Kaizen; teams who are recognized and applauded for the value of their contributions within a recruiting culture of innovation. So, the discussion continues around how we build and maintain a recruiting culture where the talent brand shines because we routinely recruit and select the exception from the best from pipelines of talent we can't wait to hire.

Teach them the ingredients for high functioning teams: psychological safety, where everybody feels valued; deep, listening; and mental presence.

The first thing is to bring awareness. What I see is that a lot of people lack of ability to do honest feedback and I would recommend to train it by doing it at home everyday for your level of performance.

A strategic approach is needed. Begin by objectively assessing which specific leadership qualities are missing and how these gaps directly impact the org's innovative capacity. Engage in constructive dialogue by proposing regular feedback sessions or leadership workshops that focus on fostering these qualities. Consider advocating for a culture of innovation throughout the org, not just at the executive level. This can be achieved by empowering mid-level managers and team leaders to pilot innovative projects, thereby demonstrating the tangible benefits of such qualities. May be necessary to involve the board of directors or HR in evaluating whether changes in leadership or restructurings are required.

Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within your organization to support executive leaders in enhancing their innovation skills. Encourage them to participate in training programs, workshops, and conferences focused on innovation and leadership. Provide access to resources and mentorship opportunities to facilitate their growth and learning journey.

try everything to start an innovation process from down to top and if nothing is working, escape as soon as possible. save your worklife

Innovation is nourished in an environment of shared vision and nurturing a space where team members feel they can take risks and offer different solutions.

To cultivate creativity, you can inspire this culture in your team, company by asking the team every day to do a new thing or a new way of doing things. This will add fun and is also breaking routines.

Cultivate a creative mindset among executive leaders by encouraging them to explore new ideas, experiment with different approaches, and embrace failure as a learning opportunity. Provide space for brainstorming sessions, ideation workshops, and innovation challenges to stimulate creativity and innovation within the organization.

Creativity is usually already somewhere in the organization - seek it out and then nurture it. Positively reward creativity by giving those who are being creative the time and space for it. Notice it. Challenge your leaders to find one place where their teams are being innovative all on their own and provide positive feedback - especially if the creativity didn't get the result they were hoping for.

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the progress of executive leaders in driving innovation. Regularly assess their performance against these metrics and provide feedback and support as needed. Celebrate successes and milestones to reinforce positive behavior and encourage continued innovation efforts.

Initiate dialogue with your executive leaders to highlight the importance of innovation and its impact on organizational success. Offer examples of innovative practices and their benefits to support the development of their ideas and share inspiration. Advocate for leadership development programs focused on fostering innovation skills. Inspire a culture of curiosity and experimentation to ignite a passion for innovation at all levels of the business.

Get out of the office and find a creative space for your team. Zoom meetings and boardrooms are not growing grounds for creativity.

Sometimes it's necessary to reprogram certain patterns as they are as deep roots and in that case a coaching session in change management would be necessary

I couldn't agree more! Yes a change of geography can spur better ideas and refresh the spirit! It is also time well spent in building your team. Thoughtful leadership!!